Heraclitus: A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger van Oech

source: www.livius.org

As I mentioned in part 1 of this book review, my boss, VP of Corporate Strategy & Engagement, Jon Pittman, gave me a copy of A Whack on the Side of the Head for Christmas. The book recommends different ways people can change their thought processes to be more creative. It was written by Dr. Roger van Oech who is the founder and president of Creative Think in Menlo Park. As I read the book it was peppered with quotations attributed to Heraclitus. As the quotations piled up, I thought the punch line at the end was going to be that Heraclitus was a fictional character, and the quotes should really be attributed to the author. As it turns out, Heraclitus was a real person. There's actually a chapter in the book that outlines who he was.

Heraclitus (fl. circa 500 B.C.) was one of the most provocative and intriguing of the ancient Greek philosophers. Dr. von Oech regards Heraclitus as the world's first creativity thinker. His epigrams about life, nature, and the cosmos planted the seeds in the works of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Bishop Hippolytus, Plotinus, Goethe, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Jung, and Ernst Cassirer. ^{[pages 199-200]}

The same chapter even lists sayings from Heraclitus to ponder [pages 202-203]. I have my own interpretation of what these mean. Here is what immediately came to mind the first time I read them.

#	Quote	Interpretation
1.	The cosmos speaks in patterns.	Since patterns are present in everything, a problem you are facing might be analogous to one you have solved before.
2.	Expect the unexpected or you won't find it.	Be prepared for things to not go according to plan, so you can recognize when they don't.
3.	Everything flows.	Cause and effect play a part in all that we do.
4.	You can't step into the same river twice.	This is the corollary to "You only get one chance to make a first impression." You only get one chance to experience something for the first time.
5.	That which opposes produces a benefit.	A contrary point of view is an alternative, not a problem.
6.	A wonderful harmony arises when we join together the seemingly unconnected.	Solving problems is based on forming relationships between people, processes, and things that were previously unrelated.
7.	If all things turned to smoke, the nose would become the discerning organ.	The obvious answer is not always the best answer -- consider other aspects (analogous to using other senses) of problems as part of resolving them.
8.	The Sun will not exceed its limits, because the avenging Furies, ministers of Justice, would find out.	Don't be arrogant. Checks and balances can be a good thing.
9.	Lovers of wisdom must open their minds to very many things.	Approach problem solving with an open mind to consider all possible solutions.
10.	I searched into myself.	Introspection can unlock problem solving insights you did not realize you had.
11.	Knowing many things doesn't teach insight.	An array of facts is not enough. You need to be able to string them together and filter them appropriately.
12.	Many fail to grasp what's right in the palm of their hand.	Something solutions are right in front of us if only we would look.
13.	When there is no sun, we can see the evening stars.	Do not allow the most obvious answer to be the only one that is considered. If you take that one off the table, you force yourself to come up with alternatives -- one of which may turn out better.
14.	The most beautiful order is a heap of sweepings piled up at random.	Sometimes disorder can reveal insights that were previously not recognizable.
15.	Things love to conceal their true nature.	Sometimes the layers of a problem must be peeled back to get to the root cause.
16.	Those who approach life like a child playing a game, moving and pushing pieces, possess the power of kings.	Having an open mind when it comes to problem solving often yields the most positive results.
17.	Sea water is both pure and polluted; for fish it is drinkable and life-giving, for humans undrinkable and destructive.	Universal agreement on what constitutes a best solution does not exist. Different people have different perspectives.
18.	On a circle, an end point can also be a beginning point.	When one opportunity passes, what was learned can be used for the next opportunity.
19.	It is disease that makes health pleasant, hunger that makes fullness good, and weariness that makes rest sweet.	Without challenge, reward would have no value.
20.	The doctor inflicts pain to cure suffering.	Problem solving is not a painless activity.
21.	The way up and the way down are one and the same.	Be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because you will see the same people on the way down.
22.	A thing rests by changing.	Expect change. Change is the natural state of things.
23.	The barley-wine drink falls apart unless it is stirred.	Shaking things up regularly is often the best way to get results.
24.	While we're awake, we share one universe, but in sleep we each turn away to a world of our own.	Pay attention to your dreams. You can learn from them.
25.	Dogs bark at what they don't understand.	If you learn more about what is bothering you, it might not bother you any longer.
26.	Donkeys prefer garbage to gold.	One man's trash is another man's treasure.
27.	Every walking animal is driven to its purpose with a whack.	Everyone needs a kick in the pants every once in a while to get going.
28.	There is a greater need to extinguish arrogance than a blazing fire.	Because it generally goes unobserved, complacency is a far worse problem than destructive behavior.
29.	Your character is your destiny.	Our legacy is indeed our successes and failures but also our outlook at how we approached life.
30.	The sun is new each day.	Every situation presents a new opportunity.

As I mentioned in part 1, I recommend this book highly. It is an easy read and has lots of humorous pictures. The chapters are short and sweet — perfect for knocking out one or two as part of a commute on mass transit. I can see why the book has been a best-seller for 25 years.

Creative interpretation is alive in the lab.